Now is the time to think about where there are potential sanitation issues on your farm. At the start of the season all your bins, totes and harvesting tools that come in contact with the harvestable part of the crop should be washed and sanitized before using. First, they should be cleaned and scrubbed with a soap then rinsed off prior to sanitizing. Rinsing is important since some sanitizers will interact with the soap and that could reduce the efficacy of the sanitizer. Once they are cleaned and sanitized let them dry then place in a protected area. Train workers on how to decide whether a container should be cleaned and the process for cleaning and sanitizing.
During the season picking baskets should be checked after each use to see if cleaning and sanitizing is required. You do not need to do this every day, but when a sufficient number of containers are dirty, take the time to clean them. We cannot get rid of risks on farms completely, but this step is essential to reducing risks.
If you use a packing or wash line, it should be cleaned and sanitized at the beginning of the season and after each use. This could be done at the end of the day or just before using the next time. There are four steps to cleaning and sanitizing a piece of equipment.
- Remove any obvious dirt or debris from the surface.
- Apply an appropriate detergent and scrub the surface. There are no set recommendations as to which detergent to use. Scrubbing is important to remove dirt that sticks to the surface and any biofilms that can have formed. Biofilms are a community of microorganisms that stick together and form a protective layer around themselves.
- Rinse the surface with clean water making sure to remove all the detergent and soil. If the detergent is not removed, it may react with the sanitizer making it ineffective.
- Apply a sanitizer approved for use on a food contact surface. Make sure to read the label for the concentration and contact time. Each product may require different contact time from a few seconds to several minutes. Remember the label is the law so follow what the label requires.
There is a difference between cleaning and sanitizing. Cleaning is the physical removal of soil from the surface which includes the use of clean water and a detergent. Sanitizing is the treatment of a cleaned surface to reduce or eliminate microorganisms. Remember you cannot sanitize a dirty surface! The surface must be cleaned first!
For more information please see the links below or visit our website
onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu
Video on cleaning and sanitizing a packing line: Single Line Pass Surface Sanitation: Deep Clean
Choosing the correct sanitizers: PSA EPA-Labeled Sanitizers for Produce
Correct dosage rates for sanitizers: Sanitizer Dose Calculator
